Chapter 388
Chapter 388
As he entered the office, Kyon saw the head of the department, the first-ranking investigator, sitting in the chair. He was a handsome, tall, a bit effeminate man in his mid-thirties, wearing a black suit and glasses. His disheveled, blond hair was the Valentines’ family trait (1). Milan was the patriarch’s brother and Rose’s uncle, the very bastard who was engaged in lewd activities with the old lady at the goddess’ behest.
Milan gave the impression of a cold-blooded, self-confident perfectionist, practical and reasonable. His office was in impeccable order. The whole department must walk on eggshells around him. Now his dark-green eyes were full of fatigue and irritation. There were two cases on the table in front of him: S-1 and A-3… They must be the cause of his concern.
«Are you… Dick Baker? The brat that was imposed on me?»
«The very same, Mr. Milan!» – Kyon greeted him with a gallant smile, taking a seat.
«Gods… Why are you doing this to me…» – He took off his glasses and wearily rubbed his eyes that hurt not only because of the monstrously ugly young man in front of him.
«If you’ve read my recommendation letter, sir, you know what I’m capable of. I will prove my worth if you give me access to the high-ranking cases archive. You will get the results tomorrow.»
Milan said flatly, completely ignoring his words: «You must be stinking rich to buy this post, but I will never accept it. You are an indelible stain on the reputation of my department. Since I can’t fire you without a good reason, you’d better make yourself scarce. Do not bother anyone, do not create problems, and do not eat much in the canteen.» – He emphasized the last words.
Kyon shook his head: «Sir, you can consider me arrogant, you can underestimate me, but give me a chance to prove myself! May I take a look at the two cases on your desk?»
«What a nerve…» – Milan banged his fist on the table. – «Get out of here!» – His patience was not unlimited. Even if this brat was under protection, he wasn’t going to tolerate his attitude.
{…} – Kyon looked annoyed when he left the office and headed to the archive of the B and C ranking files. The rest of the cases were for low-ranking investigators of other departments. Well, it seemed that he had to do it the hard way, like with Vladimir in Boston. Anyway, it was too soon to give up…
As soon as he entered the archive, the aggressive investigators appeared out of nowhere, followed by the third, apparently their leader: «Hey dude, where did you come from? Aren’t you too young for an investigator?»
{Here come the outcasts.} – Kyon nodded to his thoughts and flashed a confident smile. – «Gentlemen, I am an exchange investigator from Saturn! I am curious about your way of life here and can’t wait to see what you are capable of. How are you doing? How much progress have you made?»
The three friends exchanged perplexed glances.
«Are you serious?» – Their leader asked.
«Of course I am! My name is Dick Baker! Look!» – He held out his wrist with the family formation.
The investigators were surprised: «The Bakers! It’s the third-ranking family!»
Now it was clear to them how the fat guy had got the job of the third-ranking investigator. Anyone from Saturn seemed to be on another level of existence. This snotty brat was like a capital dweller visiting a small village.
This information took them down a peg. They exchanged another phrase and let the fat guy go. They had to hide their anger and contempt because messing with this newcomer would bring them only trouble.
Kyon was taking a risk. As soon as his ill-wishers ran him through the database, he was screwed! Any fight would end in his dismissal… However, he wasn’t going to endure humiliation or even beating… No way. He had gained a few hours to come up with something that would ensure Milan’s support.
As Lovr was studying the files of B and C rank, he could hear conversations from everywhere. The investigators talked mainly about the green night, the rainbow sun, the Feruz’ treasury, and the new young investigator who was ugly beyond imagination. No one mentioned the invasion of 33 demons. This information must be classified. Suddenly, he heard something interesting from the canteen.
«Did you hear the latest news about the demon huntress?»
«You bet! I follow her every move! The girl has destroyed a group of bandits on her own! Gods, she is good! She does more than any of us. I wish I could team up with her… Helping her fight criminals…»
«Ha ha, stop drooling!» – His colleague chuckled. – «Given her strength, I assume that she is from some elite family. She won’t even look at you. If you were someone like Milan… Well, that’s another story…»
«Guys, are you talking about the demon Huntress? I adore her! Look, I have a poster!»
«Come on, let me take a look!» … «Take a seat! The lunch is on me! Where’s the poster?..»
As Kyon found out, there was a supergirl in the capital called “Demon Huntress.” She always carried a bow and wore a mask and a seductive outfit. The investigators emphasized the stunning figure of the brave girl who fought the bad guys. Over the last two years of gratuitous activity, she had won such great popularity that the residents considered her the asset of Dantes! She was an angel in the flesh and an example to follow.
{Wow! Great!} – Kyon was so impressed that he took a moment to think about what he had heard. A kind soul appeared in the world where no one cared about the others. This girl was fighting against injustice and evil! She was worthy of his admiration. It was a truly amazing phenomenon. He wished he could get to know her and shake her hand as a sign of his approval.
Suddenly, Lovr heard someone leave the head office. He looked out and saw Milan bringing the two cases to the archive and heading to the canteen.
{Here goes!} – Kyon dashed to the nearest cubicle behind the matted glass and pressed the button. As soon as the green light was on, he went inside.
«Gods! Who on earth are you?» – The investigator of the 2nd rank let out a cry of alarm.
«Good afternoon. I am the new investigator of the third rank. I have an offer for you…»
«GET OUT OF HERE!» – The owner of the cubicle barked.
Kyon signed and closed the door behind himself. He pressed the button on the next cubicle. Finally, someone got interested in his offer.
«What is it about?» – An investigator inquired curtly.
«Aizar, I will give you a million spheres for a small favor. I need the two cases that are of Milan’s great concern. To be more precise, they are cases S-1 and A-3. You risk nothing as I will give them back as soon as I look through them. I just want to impress the boss.»
The investigator grunted thoughtfully, rubbing the stubble on his chin: «You want to look through the cases? And you will give me a million spheres if I bring them to you?»
«That’s right!» – Dick Baker nodded enthusiastically.
Aizar shook his head: «Sorry, but I won’t even touch the notorious S-1 case. It’s the Valentines’ sore spot, and, as you know, Milan comes from that family. I will not risk my position, but I can get you the A-3 case for a million and a half.»
Kyon’s gaze fell on the golden pig, a symbol of wealth, in the corner of the table. It was supposed to bring money to its owner, which led him to the conclusion that Aizar was money-driven and bargaining with him might cause heavy financial losses.
«Deal.» – Lovr agreed, taking out the money. He realized that his assumption was correct when he heard the investigator make a frustrated tsking sound.
How much is a million and a half spheres? For example, Juno’s gorgeous mansion with the pond, the park, the training area, the library, treasury, and the barriers costs five million spheres. One and a half million is a second-ranking investigator’s three-month salary. This investigator will get this amount for a short walk to the archive and back!
Aizar brought the A rank file number 3.
Kyong quickly read its contents, nodded to him and left.
It was about the following: the 65-year-old elder of the Valentines family was poisoned by the hellish rose. Elisha left behind an enormous fortune. There were a lot of suspects, and the situation looked confusing. The butler, a faithful servant who had known his master for more than ten years had, had committed a serious offense a week before the murder and received a severe punishment that also touched upon his precious family. The 40-year-old son had been beaten and humiliated by his father since he was a child. Judging by some reports, the son was vindictive. The 37-year-old daughter despised her father for his selfish greed and often quarreled with him, having persistent and severe tantrums to export every copper out of him. The son-in-law, a military man, had poisoned his father as a child for beating his mother after getting drunk. The 20-year-old grandson loved his grandfather, but, according to the investigation report, mainly for his expensive gifts, especially if they concerned his progress in cultivation. The 22-year-old granddaughter was jealous of her brother and studied herbalism. Elisha and his brother often had a drink together. The day before the murder, the brother had lost a lot of money gambling and tried to convince Elisha that he didn’t know what he was doing due to excessive drinking, but Elisha never returned the money. The beer in the victim’s mug turned out to be poisoned.
The butler, the son, the daughter and her husband, the grandson, the granddaughter, the brother. Seven suspects. Everyone had their reasons. Questioning each of them didn’t shed any light, and no one would torture high-ranking family members. Who was the killer? That’s what Milan Valentine, the patriarch’s brother, had been working on.
A demonic smile played on Kyon’s lips. He took a pen and scribbled a two-page text, signing it with the initials D.B. He had given the analysis of the case, his arguments and conclusions, and indicated the sequence of actions that would inevitably lead to solving the murder. The content and style of presentation would pique anyone’s interest, and only a fool wouldn’t try to solve the case using the described method.
…
After dinner, Milan found in his office a thick envelope with a pile of scribbled sheets inside. The longer he read the contents, the more intently he glared at the lines. At the end, he took off his glasses and slapped himself on the cheeks: «Holy cow! Why didn’t I think of it myself?»
Then he noticed the initials D.B. and wondered: {Diesel Branigan? Daisy Bayer? Dale Brewing? No, no… Who did I forget? Dimitry Bolohov! Yeah, that’s him! Only this rogue with a ton of experience behind his back could think of this! Damn old genius, I have underestimated you! Ha-ha-ha! I won’t leave your old bones without a bonus!}
The head of the department took the sound transmitter and made an order concerning all the seven suspects. He was going to interrogate them himself.
…
Kyon had left the letter in the right place and was going to leave, when suddenly the leader of the three friends called him in a loud, full of contempt and hatred voice.
«You, fat pig! You have lied to us!»
They have recently run Dick Baker through the database and found out that he was no exchange investigator from Saturn but an ordinary fat monster who had paid a large bribe to get his job!
{I need to get out of here!} – Lovr rushed to the elevator and pressed the button without even turning around.
The door slammed shut right in front of his pursuers before their leader hissed spitefully to the escaping fat guy: «You’re a dead man!»
(A.C. The poster: https://ibb.co/THkQHDW )